This tasty Instant Pot Penne with Sausage in Tomato Cream Sauce is a quick and easy recipe perfect for busy weeknights. The best part about this recipe is that the pasta and sauce are cooked together, from scratch. So there’s no need for jar pasta sauce.
[This post was first published in February 2017 and was one of my first Instant Pot recipes! It was completely updated in February 2019 with new photographs and modified instructions to help you avoid the Burn message.]
Table of Contents
Introduction
Can you cook pasta in a pressure cooker? The answer is a resounding ‘yes.’ And it’s so convenient because everything gets done in one pot. This is one of the first recipes I developed when I first got my Instant Pot.
The really interesting thing about cooking pasta in the Instant Pot is that you don’t drain the pasta water. You pressure cook the pasta, and the cooking water gets absorbed into the dish.
You may be familiar with stovetop pasta recipes where reserved pasta water is added at the end to make the dish creamier. Well, that’s essentially what happens when you pressure cook the pasta, except you use less water and all of it gets incorporated.
I combined two different stovetop recipes – Homemade Pasta Sauce and Penne Pasta with Sausage – to make this recipe.
On a really busy day, you can make a homemade Instant Pot sausage pasta recipe within 30 minutes from scratch (no jar sauce in sight!) and the hands-on time is less than about 10 minutes. This recipe easily feeds four people.
Here are some other Instant Pot Pasta recipes you might like to try out!
– Instant Pot Garlic Shrimp Pasta
– Instant Pot Vegetarian Rigatone Bolognese
– Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup
– Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Tips and Substitutions
Flavor
If you like things spicy, add extra crushed red pepper or use spicy Italian sausage. I do both when I make this recipe.
The recipe gives you the option of using broth or water. Using broth makes the penne more flavorful because the broth is absorbed by the penne.
Pasta
To avoid the Burn error message, add the pasta at the end right before pressure cooking and don’t stir it. Just push down on it with a spatula until the pasta is submerged in the liquid.
Penne, farfalle, and ziti would all work for this recipe but you may need to change the cooking time. The rule of thumb for pasta cooking times is to take the cooking time on the box, divide by 2 and add 1. e.g. if the pasta stovetop cooking time is listed as 8 minutes, the Instant Pot cooking time for the pasta would be 5 minutes (8 divided by 2 = 4; 4 + 1 = 5)
Cream
Substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream to make the recipe healthier. Keep in mind that you will sacrifice some flavor!
Substitute cream cheese or mascarpone cheese for the cream to get a creamier consistency and different flavor.
Parmesan
For maximum flavor, try to use good quality, freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Meat
If you want to substitute chicken for the Italian sausage, use boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-size pieces. Or use chicken sausage. Keep the pressure cooking time the same.
You can make the recipe meatier by adding another 1/4 lb of sausage.
Crushed Tomatoes
The recipe calls for a large can of crushed tomatoes. That makes this dish have a pretty strong tomato flavor. The reason for this is that the cream balances out the tomatoes. If you want to reduce the tomato flavor, use 1/2 to 3/4 can e.g. if you’re using less cream.
The tomatoes are also added at the end and not stirred. Again, this is to help avoid getting the Burn error message.
Sweetness
The recipe adds a touch of sugar to balance out the sourness of the tomatoes. You can substitute sugar with some grated carrots, which add sweetness.
Releasing Pressure
Doing a quick release (QR) of pressure when cooking pasta can result in food particles spewing out of the steam release valve. When releasing pressure, do it in bursts.
This means you release steam for 1 second and stop. Repeat multiple times until the steam coming out is less forceful. At that point, you can release the remaining pressure in a steady stream.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, you might find it helpful to first read one of the following guides and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.
– Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Manual
– Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Manual
– Instant Pot DUO EVO PLUS Beginner’s Manual
– Instant Pot DUO NOVA Beginner’s Manual
Instant Pot Pasta with Sausage – Ingredients
- Penne pasta
- Salt
- Cream
- Bell peppers
- Parsley
- Dried basil and oregano
- Garlic
- Parmesan
- Sugar
- Crushed tomato
- Onion
- Black pepper
- White wine
- Olive oil
- Sausage
How to Make Penne with Sausage in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)
- Turn on Saute mode
- Saute sausage
- Saute onions and garlic
- Add spices and pasta
- Pressure cook the sausage and pasta
- Quick-release pressure
- Stir cream and parsley
Turn on ‘Saute’ Mode
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the Saute function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the Saute function and press Start.
Saute Sausage
- Once the inner pot has preheated, add oil to the inner pot and let it heat up.
- Add sausage and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
- If the sausage browns too quickly, press Cancel until the Instant Pot cools down a bit and select Saute again. Deglaze as needed with a tablespoon of broth.
Saute Onions and Garlic
- Add the onions and saute until translucent.
- Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
- Deglaze with white wine, stirring until the liquid has nearly evaporated.
- Press Cancel to turn Instant Pot off.
Add Spices and Pasta
- Add in bell pepper, sugar, basil, oregano, salt, black pepper, and broth or water. Stir to combine.
- Add tomatoes and pasta on top, but don’t stir in.
- Gently push down with a spatula till the pasta is submerged. This helps avoid the Burn message.
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 5 minutes
- Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in ‘Sealing’ position
- Press Manual (or Pressure Cook) and + or – until the display reads ‘5′ (5 minutes).
Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 5 minutes
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 5 minutes (00:05).
- Press Start.
Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)
- Instant Pot display will change to On.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to Keep Warm mode and display ‘L0:00’ or ’00 00′ and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the DUO
- Move the steam release handle to Venting. Steam will come out of the steam release handle.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the ULTRA
- Press down on the Steam Release Button until it locks into place, and steam begins to come out of the Steam Release Valve.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
[Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
Pro Tip
For some foods such as noodles, I find it helpful to release the steam in small bursts: less than 1-second intervals. Once the steam coming out is less forceful, I release the remaining pressure in a steady stream. Read more about the different pressure release methods.
Stir in Cream and Parsley
- There might seem to be more liquid than you’d like, but don’t worry, the liquid will get absorbed by the pasta as it rests.
- Carefully stir in cream.
- Select Saute and simmer the pasta and sauce for a couple of minutes until heated through.
- Let the Instant Pot pasta rest for a few minutes and it will thicken up.
- Sprinkle each serving with grated parmesan, parsley, and crushed red pepper (if using).
Instant Pot Pasta | Penne with Sausage in Tomato Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 lb Italian sausage – casing removed, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 Tbsp garlic – minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup bell peppers – 1 inch cubes
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt – or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth – or water
- 28 oz. (1 can) crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 lb dry penne pasta
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- parmesan cheese – shredded
- Chopped parsley to garnish
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper – or to taste, optional
Equipment
Instructions
- Select 'Saute' and add oil to inner pot of Instant Pot.
- Add sausage, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Break up the sausage if the pieces are too large. (If the sausage browns too quickly, press 'Cancel' until the Instant Pot cools down a bit and select 'Saute' again.)
- Add onions and garlic. Stir until onion is translucent.
- Deglaze pot with white wine, stirring until liquid has nearly evaporated.
- Turn off Instant Pot.
- Stir in bell peppers, sugar, dried basil, oregano, salt, black pepper, and broth or water.
- Add in the tomatoes and pasta. Don't stir but just gently push down to submerge in the liquid.
- Close the lid and pressure cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.
- Do a Quick Release of steam, and open the Instant Pot. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- Select 'Saute'.
- Stir in cream and simmer the pasta for a couple of minutes until heated through.
- Turn off Instant Pot and if desired, let the pasta rest for a few minutes to absorb any remaining liquid.
- Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan and parsley, and crushed red pepper, if using.
Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. chopped onions, minced garlic, diced chicken, etc.
- To lighten the dish, you could substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream.
- The sugar adds a nice balance to the flavor of the tomatoes, but feel free to leave it out or add some grated carrots.
- See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips.
Nutrition
I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
If you loved this recipe, please give it a five ⭐ rating in the comment section below and please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!
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Gail
This was a hit with our family. It was quick & delicious. I did omit the sugar as I just do not care for sweet sauces with pasta. Thanks for a good dinner option.
Paint the Kitchen Red
You’re very welcome, Gail. Thank you for taking the time to comment!
Nikki
I made this tonight and everyone loved it. I made a few adjustments because I have big eaters. I used strained tomatoes instead of crushed because it’s what I had. I used 1 lb of pasta and doubled the water and spices. I also put double the amount of crushed red pepper flakes in with the rest of the spices. I also used mushrooms instead of peppers due to our preferences. The result was slightly spicy but definitely not too much. Will make this again!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Nikki, thank you for sharing your modifications. Glad you liked the recipe!
kim
We really enjoyed this dish. It is very versatile. I used your suggestion and put in carrots instead of the sugar. We will definitely be making this again!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you for taking the time to comment and share your substitution. I’m very happy you liked the recipe.
kim
can this recipe be doubled in a 8 quart instant pot?
I’m excited to try this recipe!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Kim, yes you should be able to double it in an 8 quart. Hope you enjoy it!
Sydney L
Is there an alternative to the white wine I could use?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Sydney, yes just use chicken broth or even water.
Creeann
We love this recipe! I make it often. This time however I can’t find crushed tomatoes anywhere so I used whole canned tomatoes and blended them slightly. I hope it will still be the same.
Paint the Kitchen Red
I’m thinking you probably had no issue with the whole tomatoes. Thanks for your comment – I’m so glad you like the recipe. I recently made it with vegetarian sausage because my daughter is now vegetarian. I added the sauteed sausage at the end after cooking was done.
jennifer l WETTSTEIN
Very quick and easy. A huge hit. Will make again and again!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you for letting me know, Jennifer! I’m happy you liked the recipe 🙂
Barbara Sugarman
We absolutely love this recipe. I make it at least twice a month. I made it a few weeks ago for a ladies get together and it was a hit. Love your recipes.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you, Barbara, for letting me know – it’s so nice to hear that!
Becky
We have made this several times. We add veggies like broccoli, carrots and/or chard. This time we made it cream cheese. I prefer it with cream cheese.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks for sharing, Becky. Yes, cream cheese is a great option too.
Jeff
Really really good. Doubled it and kids wanted more!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Glad to hear it, Jeff! Thanks for commenting.
Laurie
This is delicious! I have made it several times. I usually have plenty of fresh tomatoes to use from my garden/greenhouse, so I spend a good amount of time chopping tomatoes instead of using the canned ones, but it’s worth the chopping time!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Laurie – fresh tomatoes are the best, lucky you! Thanks for sharing.
Laurie
Now that I’m trying to lose some weight, I thought I’d try some revisions to this. For 2/3 recipe (4 servings), I used one head cauliflower instead of the pasta, only 1/2 cup water, and whole milk instead of most of the cream (just a tblsp cream). It made a very delicious soup! I think this would work well with the pasta AND the cauliflower, with the normal amount of liquid, just to add some extra veggies.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks for sharing your substitutions, Laurie. Glad you were able to make it your own to suit your diet.
Liz
soooo good! i used hot sausage because i like spice. used 1lb pasta and would definitely recommend that. will add kale or spinach next time.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you, Liz! I’m glad to hear you like the recipe – one of my favorites 🙂
Tanya Knudson
This instapot recipe is incredible! Easy to make, with good warm comfort food flavor. I actually used vegetarian sausage and my boyfriend never knew. He actually asked to take the leftovers to work the next day. This is definitely a go-to recipe for me.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Tanya, I’ve never tried it with vegetarian sausage. My daughter has become a vegetarian recently and I never thought to make this recipe for her – thank you!
Anna
I’m also a vegetarian. Did you just sub like. Or so or add the sausage at the end?
Cathy
Made this tonight! It was very good. First time I attempted pasta in the instant pot. My husband loved it! Made it exactly as the recipe stated and was perfect! Thank you!!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you, Cathy. Great first recipe to try 🙂
Becky
We have made this several times. We usually leave out the wine but add extra broth, veggie or chicken. We add carrots and broccoli before cooking and sometimes chard after. We use either cream or cream cheese and maybe an extra splash of milk.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Becky, thank you for sharing your modifications. I’m glad the recipe has become a repeat at your home!
Becky
We have made this several times, doubling the recipe. We add broccoli, carrots and chard.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Becky, I had this for dinner a couple of nights ago and added less sausage but more veggies. So versatile!